Aerodacious

(Aviation + Audacious = Aerodacious)

Page ccCAM011 (Revised 10/26/2007)

Background: The Air Mail Act of 1925 (Kelly Act) authorized the postmaster general to contract for domestic airmail service with commercial air carriers. It also set airmail rates and the level of cash subsidies to be paid to companies that carried the mail. By transferring airmail operations to private companies, the government effectively would help create the commercial aviation industry. Various routes were designated and contracts for carrying the mail over these routes were then awarded to many different private air service companies. The Contract Air Mail routes became known as CAM's.
CAM-11:
CAM-11 was awarded to Skyline Transportation Company (Clifford Ball's Airline). Skyline was founded in 1926 by enterprising enthusiast, Clifford Ball. CAM-11 air service was inaugurated with both east and west flights on April 21, 1927 between Cleveland Ohio and Pittsburgh Pennsylvania with an interim stop in Youngstown. Pittsburgh and McKeesport shared the same airport. Postal mail covers carried on the inaugural flight between each point of landing and take-off are collectible and are known as CAM-11 covers.

Skyline Transporation used a Waco 9 bi-plane named "Miss Pittsburgh" for this initial April 21, 1927 air service.
Pilots flying different legs of this April 27th CAM-11 inaugural air service included, Kenneth "Curley" F. Lovejoy, Merle A. Moltrup and Dewey L. Noyes.

11S1

270421

Cleveland OH

STC

Lovejoy & Noyes

$7.50

11S2

270421

Youngstown OH

STC

Moltrup & Noyes

$18.00

11N3

270421

McKeesport PA

STC

Moltrup & Noyes

$9.00

11N4

270421

Pittsburgh PA

STC

Moltrup & Noyes

$7.50

11N2

270421

Youngstown OH

STC

Noyes

$15.00

R11N6

310608

to Akron OH by southbound plane

STC

$6.00

11S5

310608

Akron OH

STC

LV Scriggins

$4.50

R11S6

310608

to Akron OH by northbound plane

STC

$6.00

11N5

310608

Akron OH

STC

RL Baker

$7.50

11E7

310608

Pittsburgh PA

STC

LV Scroggins

$18.75

11E7F

310608

Pittsburgh PA

STC

LV Scroggins

$37.50

11E8

310608

McKeesport PA

STC

Ed Couples

$26.25

11W9

310608

Washington DC

STC

RL Baker

$5.25

CAM-11:
On February 9, 1934 the Post Office Department canceled all contracts of operators flying mail on routes within the US to become effective on February 19, 1934. The reason given by the Post Office was that there was suspicion that the mail carrying contracts had been awarded through collusion during the previous Administration.
Cancellation of the air mail contracts held by established pioneer airline companies was accompanied by an executive order from President Franklin D Roosevelt stating that the Army Air Corps should now carry the mail. Three territorial zones were established for the Air Corps mail operations, Newark NJ, Chicago IL and Salt Lake City UT. The eastern, central and western zones each had branch routes to other feeder cities. It was a difficult assignment for the Army Air Corps as they did not have enough planes and the ones they had, did not have the latest instruments, landing, navigation, or cockpit lights. One of the aircraft they used was the Keystone B-4 bi-plane.

New commercial air mail carrying contracts were made in May 1934 and the mail was again flown by private contractors over re-designated revised Post Office Department routes in late June 1934.

CAM-11: After the February 1934 cancellation and reinstatement of new commercial air mail carrying contracts over re-designed revised Post Office routes in late June 1934, Central Airlines began flying CAM-11 air mail. Central Airlines was founded in 1934. It quickly determined that operating an
exclusive passenger service operation was economically impossible without the
supplement of a mail contract to provide a basic source of revenue.
Pennsylvania Airlines merged with Cental Airlines November 1, 1936 to become
Pennsylvania-Central Airlines.

PCA purchased a Boeing 247 in January 1937.
On April 21, 1948 PCA changed
its name to Capital Airlines. Capital Airlines served the eastern US and was
merged into United Airlines in 1961.